Neurostimulation devices deliver therapy in the form of electrical stimulation pulses to treat symptoms and conditions, such as chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, or epilepsy, for example. Implantable neurostimulation devices, for example, deliver neurostimulation therapy via leads that include electrodes located proximate to the muscles and nerves of a patient. Treatments frequently require two external devices: a neurostimulator controller and a neurostimulation device charger. Neurostimulator controllers are frequently used to adjust treatment parameters, select programs, and even to program treatment platforms into the implantable device. External neurostimulator device chargers are used to recharge batteries on the implanted device.
Conventional neurostimulator controllers are approximately the size of hand-held gaming system controllers, smartphones, or PDAs. While small, they are too large to comfortably be carried around in one's pocket and must be carried in a belt pouch or purse. Because of the size of these devices, they are not easily concealed and frequently result in unwanted attention. Known controllers provide so many features or functions that they sometimes overwhelm the patient to the point where the trial or stimulation therapy fail to provide adequate or optimal treatment. A typical patient will only use a small subset of the available features on the controllers. Most patients predominantly use their controller to turn the neurostimulation on or off, select which neurostimulation program to run, and adjust their stimulation amplitude, while a small percentage of patients utilize the advance controls to adjust program frequency and individual pulse/area stimulation parameters such as pulse width or individual pulse amplitude.
Existing chargers are typically about the same size as the neurostimulator controllers and are generally used for the sole purpose of recharging the implantable device's battery. These chargers are usually kept in the patient's house and used once a week or so depending upon stimulation parameters.
The present disclosure is directed to devices, systems, and methods that address one or more deficiencies in the prior art.